US rightwing fans misinformation fires as firefighters battle Los Angeles blazes

Cesar Plaza becomes emotional while looking at his home destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. Picture: AP Photo/Nic Coury

As Los Angeles firefighters battle ongoing blazes, prominent rightwing figures are spreading bigoted criticism of the response and lies about who’s to blame, including that the fire is raging because of diversity within the fire department.

The misinformation echoes the claims that plagued the North Carolina hurricane response. Both disasters led to righteous outrage that partisan actors seize upon to advance their political goals, muddying the already confusing information ecosystem that comes along with a fast-moving news event.